PEAS-I: A hardware/software co-design system for ASIPs

The current implementation and experimental results of the PEAS-1 (practical environment for application specific integrated processor (ASIP) development - Version I) system are described. The PEAS-I system is a hardware/software co-design system for ASIP development. The input to the system is a set of application programs written in C language, an associated data set, and design constraints such as chip area and power consumption. The system generates an optimized CPU core design in the form of an HDL, as well as a set of application program development tools, such as a C compiler, assembler, and simulator. A novel method that formulates the design of an optimal instruction set using an integer programming approach is described. A tool that enables the designer to predict the chip area and performance of the design before the detailed design is completed is discussed. Application program development tools are generated in addition to the ASIP hardware design